Easy Sicilian-style Spaghetti with Sardines – a simplified take on the traditional Italian classic (Pasta con le sarde), full of bold, authentic flavors. With savory sardines, aromatic fennel, and a touch of spice, this easy Mediterranean pasta dish captures the heart of Sicilian cuisine in every bite.
Bring the bold flavors of Sicily to your table with this traditional spaghetti dish featuring sardines, fennel, and a hint of spice. Simple yet packed with Mediterranean character, this recipe is a delicious nod to classic Sicilian cuisine. Try this reimagined classic Sicilian recipe – the way I prepare it with ingredients from the Italian store nearby. Also, do not miss my recipe for Homemade Sicilian Tomato Sauce (30 minutes).
Behind the Bites
Pasta con le Sarde (Pasta with Sardines) is one of Sicily’s most iconic and historic dishes — a true symbol of the island’s diverse culinary heritage. There’s a popular legend that the dish was created by an Arab cook in the 9th century to feed the troops of Arab general Euphemius during his campaign in Sicily. With limited ingredients, the cook used what was available—pasta, sardines, wild fennel, and raisins—to create a hearty, flavorful meal that has endured for centuries.
Though the traditional recipe stays true to its origins, modern variations sometimes add tomato sauce or leave out the raisins for a more savory flavor. Despite these adaptations, the dish remains a proud symbol of Sicilian cuisine—particularly in Palermo, where it’s cherished as a local delicacy by many.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Italian pasta – thin spaghetti or bucatini pasta
- Canned Sardines – or fresh, cleaned and cooked in olive oil
- Onions
- Almonds – can be replaced with pine nuts or other nuts of choice
- Fennel – leaves only needed
- Breadcrumbs
- Olive oil – extra virgin
- Spices: salt, white pepper, pinch of saffron
How to cook Spaghetti with Sardines?
1st: Drain sardines from oil and cut in small chunks, then in a saucepan add olive oil and sauté finely minced onion and fennel. Add a few tbsp. of water, chopped sardines, and a pinch of saffron and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
2nd: In a separate saucepan add chopped nuts and breadcrumbs. Toss around until they get golden. In a large soup pan bring water to a boil, then add spaghetti in and let simmer until fully cooked. Drain from water and mix everything together. Serve.
What to serve with Spaghetti & Sardines?
A light vegetable salad or an appetizer always looks good in my view.
Sicilian Pasta (spaghetti) with sardines
Equipment
- 2 sauce pans
- 1 cutting board and knife
Ingredients
- 400 g thin spaghetti, or bucatini pasta
- 300 g canned sardines,
- 2 small onions, minced
- 100 g almonds, or pine nuts
- 2 tbsp. fennel leaves, chopped
- 100 g breadcrumbs
- 4-6 tbsp. olive oil, extra virgin
- water for spaghetti and meal
- salt and white pepper to taste
- pinch of saffron spice
Instructions
- In a large soup pan place cold water and bring to a boil. Then, add spaghetti and lower heat. Let simmer until spaghetti are fully cooked. Add more water as needed.
- In the meantime, mince onions finely and sauté in 2-3 tbsp. olive oil on low heat. Chop the sardines and add in the pan. Sauté further for another minute.
- Next, add minced fennel leaves and 2-3 tbsp. of water. Sprinkle with saffron and let cook on low heat for 2-3 minutes. Stir frequently. Remove from stove top.
- Then, in a separate small sauce pan add chopped almonds and breadcrumbs. Let them get golden to light brown-ish on medium heat – stir frequently to prevent burns.
- Finally, once spaghetti are cooked, drain from excess water and mix with sardines and almond breadcrumbs. Drizzle with remaining olive oil and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
This post may contain affiliate links, please see full disclosure here.
Looks so yummy.